Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Findings of New Institute of Medicine Report

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, July 21, 2011

CONTACT: MARA LEE
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Congresswoman Matsui Applauds Findings of New Institute of Medicine Report
Recommends Eight Additional Preventive Services Be Covered for Women, Including Contraception

Today, Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui (D-CA) applauded the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) new report which recommends that health insurers pay for a range of services for women at no cost, including birth control, AIDS screening, and counseling on sexually transmitted diseases. The IOM is a nonpartisan independent organization that advises the federal government on health and medical matters. This latest report was commissioned by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), who is required by the new health care law to decide the final regulations for preventive services to be covered by insurers. The agency's ruling is expected in August.

The recommendations in this groundbreaking report will allow women to better make the deeply personal decisions about their sexual health and preventive care based on the conversations they have with their doctor eliminating the influence of insurers, and removing the barriers that high deductibles and co-pays create, said Congresswoman Matsui. This report is an important step forward, and I urge HHS to incorporate these suggestions into their regulations as the implementation of the Affordable Care Act continues.

The committee of experts appointed by the IOM named eight preventive services that women should get for without cost-share. The report emphasizes that paying for birth control is especially important. Co-pays for birth control pills typically range between $15 and $50 per month. Other methods, such as IUDs, often cost several hundred dollars, even with health insurance.

The eight recommendations include:

• Contraceptive methods and counseling to prevent unintended pregnancies
• Counseling and screening for HIV
• Counseling on sexually transmitted infections
• HPV testing as part of cervical cancer screening for women over 30
• Lactation counseling and equipment to promote breast-feeding
• Screening and counseling to detect and prevent interpersonal and domestic violence
• Screening for gestational diabetes
• Yearly well-woman preventive care visits to obtain recommended preventive services

Linda Rosenstock, Dean of the School of Public Health at UCLA, who chaired the panel, said, The eight services we identified are necessary to support women's optimal health and well-being. Each recommendation stands on a foundation of evidence supporting its effectiveness.

These are commonsense preventive services that should be covered by insurers, Matsui added. Providing women with better access to these services now will reduce health care costs in long run, making our country healthier both physically and fiscally.

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